Random Lands
by Gining
Summary: This is the result of too much work, not enough sleep, and my best friend using it to her advantage. Challange outline inside. Keep in mind it is rather random. [implied onesided aurikku]oneshot


Root bear, feather boa, Calm Lands, purple plastic turtle, four leaf clover

A challenge fic done after twelve hours of work, a bored Chibi, and a brain dead Gin. I was posed this by chibi because she wanted to see how random I could get.

--

The group trudged across the grass wandering what was going to happen next. Rikku had already pointed out how the fur of the courls would make a great feather boa for Yuna if they clips off their whiskers and sewn them together. Everyone had stared at her wondering what she had been drinking to come up with that idea. Right now though, she was silent before they accused her of some other wacky idea.

They decided to stop at the agency for the night before continuing on. Rikku lay under the stars that night gazing up. She knew the Calm Lands could be dangerous, but she couldn't help but admire how peaceful it was right now. That peace was ended when she heard someone clearing a deep sounding throat.

"What do you want?" She snapped.

"Shouldn't you be in bed so you can be rested for the morning?" He asked while ignoring her tone.

She thought about it for only a moment. "Yeah maybe."

He waited for her to say more, but was surprised when she did not. Slowly he sat down next to her. Even he had to admit he didn't know why. Perhaps it was the chance to brag from the farplain after he was sent that he had been able to be there when she was quiet. He closed his good eye just waiting for the moment when she would say something.

Just when he thought she would prove his thoughts wrong, she spoke. "Hey, Auron?" He grunted signaling he had heart her. "See that group of stars there? What do they remind you of?"

He opened his eye and looked up following the path her finger made. In the sky were five stars all gathered around a cluster. To him it appeared as another group shining down.

Rikku waited patiently for him to answer, but when she realized he was not going to she told him about what she thought. "It reminds me of home." She sniffled once and he knew she was thinking of how the Guado had attacked and made Cid go drastic and blow the whole place up. "I never got to save snoofly."

"Snoofly?" He questioned with a raised brow. Did he really want to know now?

"Yeah, he was my purple plastic turtle. I used to take him in the tub with me all the time. I never could take a bath without him."

Auron noted the sadness in her explanation and almost found himself trying to think of a way to make her happy again. He scoffed at himself before rising to his feet. "Make sure you get enough rest. We have a long day ahead." He warned her before heading off himself.

Rikku nodded slightly as her finger went back into the air and she drew shapes above her head. She smirked to herself once he was completely out of sight. From beside her she pulled out a large sized bottle. She had sticky little thief fingers and was determined to find out what Auron carried in the jug labeled nog.

--

The next morning everyone noticed Rikku was the first to awaken. She seemed peppier then normal, but they passed it off as a good night's sleep. She was the first to run out the door eager for the next leg of the trip.

Tidus turned to the lager of the group. Auron was still standing in place looking like he had lost the most precious item in the world.

"Hey, aren't you coming?"

"I will...catch up. Give me only a moment."

"Sure thing. I'll go tell Yuna." He ran off leaving the oldest of the group.

Auron pat his side one last time making sure that he wasn't somehow losing his mind in his old age. He looked ahead as he saw Rikku bouncing around from person to person showing them the latest treasures she had found. He thought back to the night before. All of a sudden it clicked, he knew where his jug went.

--

The day was long, just as he said it was going to be. But for him, it seemed as if it was even longer then it should have been. Auron missed his jug. It was a familiar weight on his jacket. He almost felt unbalanced without it. He must have let out a tired sigh without knowing because Yuna glanced back at him and spoke up.

"I think we should rest here. We have been battling a lot and will need the rest before we cross the bridge to Gagazet." She was greeted with a round of relieved cheers from Tidus, Wakka, and Rikku. Lulu only smiled glad for the break.

As Kimahri and Wakka set up camp, Auron noticed Rikku saying something quietly to Tidus and Yuna. They both appeared shocked and glanced from her and then him quickly. He didn't fail to see when they three of them ran off somewhere private. It was time to find out what was up.

They were sitting on the ground behind a rock when he found them. Rikku was holding something close and almost glared at them. He listened in wanting to know what was going on.

"You have to promise not to say anything." She warned. "It took a lot of work to get this. I had to tell him about Snoofly! Dumb toy, glad it got burnt too!"

"Hey, you have our word. So what's in it then?" Tidus was eager to know and moved closer trying to see.

"It's beer." Rikku whispered in a conspiratorial manner.

Yuna appeared like she just got struck. She never thought that Sir Auron would have something like that. He seemed so against Sir Jecht's drinking. Why would he have the same thing? She pulled three cups out anyway for them to all try whatever really was in the jug. Rikku carefully poured it out making sure not to spill even a single drop.

Suppressing a face, the couple titled heads back and gulped the beverage prepared for the burning sensation to follow. They stared at one another in question.

"Rikku, root beer isn't the same as beer." Yuna said quietly.

Rikku fell back to the ground giggling. "You should have seen your faces though! It was the funniest thing I ever saw!"

Auron shook his head as he walked away. He would have to get back at Rikku somehow.

--

Rikku noticed Auron was trailing behind. She could only guess why. But the question was how was she going to give him back the jug without him knowing? She drew back from the center of the group until she was walking with him.

"Hey, Auron." She greeted quietly. He grunted and she went on. "You seen slower then normal today. Down on your luck?"

"You could say that." He replied.

"Huh." She held her hands behind her back as she walked. He noticed she seemed to be staring at everything but him.

"Something bothering you?" He asked.

"No, not really." She grinned before moving close and placing something behind his ear before running off and starting a conversation with her cousin.

Auron stopped. He reached one hand up and pulled a plant back down to his face. He looked up and could make out the barest trace of a wink coming from the girl. When he moved again, he felt something brush his leg. Auron looked down and saw she had somehow returned his jug without him even knowing it.

"Still a thief." He whispered as he placed the four leaf clover into his belt.


End file.
